Ravens Deep (one) (37 page)

             
A few moments later, while I was still trying to get control of my emotions, the corpse of the tramp landed at my feet. I screamed, a mixture of horror and fright, and pressed myself against the wall. Darius landed softly beside it, his gaze unwavering from my own terrified stare. 

             
A trickle of blood ran out the corner of his mouth and I recoiled in horror. Still he did not speak, but he retained that same unemotional look in his eyes.  This was worse than any words he could say to me. Why didn’t he say something?

             
“Darius. . . I’m sorry.”

             
Darius turned suddenly and I did not even see his arm move as he brought his hand up. I was only aware of the intense pain across my face and I fell to the floor unable to comprehend the shock of what he had just done.

             
“You could have died tonight!” His voice was like ice.  “And you still might!”

             
The venom in his words stung more than the sting of his hand and with those chilling words he left me sitting on the floor in the dark tunnel. I could hear the soft noise of the corpse being dragged after him.  I sat very still hardly daring to breathe and trying to stop the tears from falling, as I listened to the sounds moving further and further from me.  My cheek stung and I was aware of the blood on my hand as I touched my now swollen skin -- his nails had cut me.

             
Was that what he had meant, when he had said that I might die tonight? If I was bleeding so profusely in front of his eyes would his control diminish completely?  I held the fabric of my top to my face as I tried to staunch the blood flow.  I had to stop the bleeding before Darius came back.

              The tunnel was very dark and although a faint glow of light came through from the trapdoor above, I could barely see a few feet in front of me.  My torch was still up there somewhere, but I was too afraid to go and search for it.  Instead, I just sat huddled on the damp floor until my ears picked up the faintest of noises. Was Darius coming back?  I listened harder--it was getting closer.  It was not a normal footstep, more like the running of tiny feet.  Not Darius after all, but the other possibility was just as fearful to me.

             
Oh God, please not rats.

             
I got up quickly and climbed up onto the lowest rung of the ladder and that was how I remained, trying to keep my feet from touching the floor, as I waited for the fearful things that I knew would come out from the darkness. It felt as though an eternity passed, before I heard a soft sound and I strained my ears again to hear better; but I could see nothing in the darkness. Taking me by surprise Darius appeared directly in front of me. I climbed down from the ladder and nervously stood facing him. My throat has gone dry. 

             
“Why did you come down here Madeline?” I felt a small amount of relief at how calm his voice sounded, and I breathed easier.

             
“I. . . I was worried,” I stammered, I didn’t know where you were and it was late.”  He regarded me coolly, weighing up my answer.

             
“No, you wanted to know didn’t you?  You wanted to experience the torment first hand.”

             
“No,” I said at once.  “Why would I want that?”

             
“I don’t know,” he sighed. “But now that you have my love, I hope you are satisfied in your quest.”

             
“It wasn’t a quest,” I protested. He dismissed my protest with a shrug and took a step closer to me.  He brought his hand up to my face and traced the outline of the cut he had left with his fingernail, making me wince as it was still tender.

             
“You are a danger to me here, a danger to my existence by your careless actions,” he said softly and then more resigned, “but I cannot let you go.”

             
“I don’t mean to be a danger to you,” I said quietly, “and I don’t want you to let me go.”  Darius pulled me into his arms and then bent to kiss me, but the mental picture of what he had just done and the sight of the dried blood on the corner of his mouth made me withdraw.

             
“I can’t, Darius -- not right now.” He smiled faintly at my expression, but he ignored my protest and held me firmly. I felt unable to breathe and despite my objections, he kissed me forcibly. I was acutely aware of the slightly metallic taste of blood.  Not his or mine but someone else’s and with it came the horror that I was being forced to endure.  He was making me experience the worst and darkest part of his existence and telling me in no uncertain terms, that I was a very much a part of that darkness.  He finally allowed me to push him away and I glared at him angrily.

             
“How could you?”

             
“Easily, and if you ever do this again, I will make you watch when I kill them too,” he replied sadistically.

Chapter Twenty Nine - The Question of Immortality

             
I never dared to venture down into the basement again, let alone open that trap door. I knew Darius did not make idle threats and I was certain that he would not hesitate to carry out that particular warning. So for a few more weeks, I had to content myself with the house in Parson Place and wait for Darius to decide when the time was right for us to return to Ravens Deep.

             
In all, we spent five months in London and we were both impatient to return to the peace and tranquillity of the beautiful Exmoor countryside.  I missed being close to the sea, the rugged beauty of the coastline and the magic of waking up to the scenery of the moors.  Above all, I felt I had left a part of myself at Ravens Deep and I wished to go back and reclaim it.

             
After our return, I discovered that there had only been brief inquiries into Charlie’s disappearance, and this had only occurred because a staff member had remembered him staying at the hotel. His picture had appeared on the news briefly, but it was apparent that he had told no one of his expedition to find me, therefore my anonymity had remained intact.

             
There was not even any line of questioning being directed at me, as I had half expected, when I eventually visited my flat in London.  I had anticipated a message or some inquiry from a long forgotten connection -- thankfully there was not. After all, I was only an ex-girlfriend whom he had not seen or spoken to in months, as far as anyone else was concerned. Why would there be any speculation that I had anything to do with his disappearance. It wasn’t even a murder case, as only a missing person report had been filed.

             
Now, I believed Darius’s statement when he had told me that no one would find the remains of the body. I could imagine that Charlie’s file had already been relegated to some dusty shelf in the police department.  Darius had been correct in his assumption that people soon forgot; sadly it was old news.  This month a sudden disappearance of another person, in a neighbouring county, filled the headlines. 

             
After that interlude, time passed for a while without incident.  We divided our life 

between
Ravens Deep, the museum and Parson Place, with occasional visits to Chantille.  The months turned into another year and the bond between us grew stronger. I had struggled, many times, with the ethicality of our love and our relationship and I learned to overcome any feelings of remorse I might have ever felt. I had accepted a long time ago the implication of Darius’s existence, but it was after Charlie’s death that there was no going back.

             
If I had ever considered walking away or leaving, it would have been then, but I had stayed because I couldn’t’t walk away from Darius.  I needed him, I needed to be with him and I felt that I could not live without him. We connected with one another on a level that I didn’t’t believe existed between ordinary mortals, but it was not my decision to make, Darius would never have allowed me to leave.   

             
These days the horror of his immortality was more apparent to me in the city.  Every time he left me alone in the house on Parson Place, my mind would conjure up vivid images of the dark, dank passageways under the very streets where mortals walked, who were completely oblivious to the corpses being dragged beneath them. In order for me not to lose my mind, this feeling of horror had to be laid to rest, for I had no choice -- my destiny was to remain by Darius’s side.  

             
Eventually I did find the willpower to push the negative feelings aside and relegate them to the very depths of my mind.  I focused instead on only the positive thoughts, the happiness we found in one another and I tried to enjoy being in the city with him.

             
Together we partook in things he had never dreamed of doing, we hired a private

box
at a theatre, normally only reserved for royalty or VIPs.  But I soon learned how easy it was to obtain certain privileges open only to an elite group, for money could open any closed door and it was easy to silence any sort of questions, providing you were willing to pay the price.  

             
Having extreme wealth definitely had its advantages.  Money was not something I

thought
about anymore, as we had more money at our disposal than we knew what to do with.  I lost count over the years of how many theatre tickets I purchased. I paid handsomely and always in cash which ensured our entry via the side and back doors, away from the usual crowds.  A privilege normally only enjoyed by the famous.

             
In this manner we moved amongst the ordinary mortals, with them, but always apart. This enabled us to experience numerous productions of the opera, classical renditions of ballet and fine theatre, we both revelled in all the fine arts London had to offer. Darius’s world expanded significantly, as he came to realize with me at his side he could participate in a life within the city that he had never experienced before.

             
Darius’s controlling nature mellowed, as I was able to leave the house on Parson Place during the day.  It was strange not to have him by my side, but it was easier for me to take care of details regarding my former life in the daylight hours. I visited my flat once a month to pick up any mail and ensure everything was in order.  I closed every account I had ever opened, except my bank account, and ensured there was always enough money to pay the standing orders that were in place.  I kept only the electricity and water turned on at the flat, they were the only obligations I had to worry about.

             
I mentioned to Darius about selling the flat, but he had predicted the property market would rise again and that it was still a good investment, so I had let the subject drop.  I wondered exactly why we needed all these investments, but I guessed that Darius only knew how to keep making money and it was in his nature to maximize everything to his best advantage. Then again, it did give him another safe haven in the city in case of an emergency. 

             
My past experiences and the path I had chosen to follow, had made me cautious around people. I tried not to engage in any unnecessary conversations or encounters, but I did amuse myself by purchasing exquisite clothing and beautiful accessories. Soon I discovered that the seduction of being able to buy anything you wanted was quite time consuming, and I finally understood why Darius constantly acquired new treasures.

             
On occasions when we did appear in public, it must have seemed that we truly belonged, mixing amongst London’s wealthy elite society.  Obviously unknown, but our appearances frequented the right circles, which in itself allowed our air of mystery to remain intact. There were of course the inevitable encounters with other mortals, but we kept them brief and inconspicuous. 

             
We were caught up in the happiness of being in each other's company and we needed no one else. Although Darius could be very charming when it suited him, his potent charisma, mixed with his obvious education and refinement, earned him an instant respect from anyone who crossed our path. 

             
I was convinced that he did indeed possess the ability to hypnotize mortals.  He used his sultry beguiling tone as he spoke, and under his bewitching influence, a mortal might not be certain that they had actually encountered him directly, perhaps thinking they imagined participating in a conversation.  I witnessed the daze like stupor of these individuals for just a few seconds as we left them.  Then on observing them further, they would return to their senses unsure of their exact engagement with us.

             
Perhaps it was a good thing, as there was no doubt we made a striking couple.  Darius was tall and dark with cat-like eyes that mesmerized and captivated.  He always dressed in dark stylish clothes and he carried himself both effortlessly and gracefully.  I, by comparison was petite and slim, my blonde hair now cascaded to my waist and framed my pale delicate face. My eyes, although less vivid, matched Darius’s and my beautiful clothes were worthy of any top fashion house.